Larks win Sunday, take series

Monday

DERBY -- With a home run each by Zair Koeiman and Taylor Petersen, the Hays Larks pushed past the Derby Twins, 4-2, on Sunday to take the 2-1 win in the three-game weekend series.

Koeiman and Petersen had solo homers in the third and fourth to make up the difference, moving the Larks to 16-3 overall and 12-3 atop the Jayhawk League. Derby dropped to 9-8, 7-8 in a tie for third place.

Koeiman's homer was one of three hits for the future Wichita State University Shocker. He was 3 for 4 and drove in two of the Larks' runs, while Aaron Cornell finished 2 for 5, scoring twice.

Colin Hightower, making his second start for Hays, pitched 6.2 innings and gave up two earned runs on four hits with six strikeouts and a walk to improve to 2-0. DJ Carr and David Owen combined for 2.1 innings of scoreless relief and Owen picked up his team-leading third save of the season after giving up one hit in the ninth. The two combined for five strikeouts.

The Larks scored runs in the first, third, fourth and seventh. Koeiman doubled in a run in the first, and Cornell scored on a wild pitch in the seventh.

Koeiman's bomb was his third of the season, tied for second on the team behind Cornell (4), who had three in the weekend series. Petersen has also homered three times. Koeiman leads the Larks with 22 runs driven in.

Hays returns home Tuesday to face Dodge City (7-11, 4-9) at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Larks Park. Dodge City defeated second-place El Dorado, 15-4, on Sunday. In other action, Wellington topped Liberal, 6-2, to take a 2-1 win in that series.

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.